When Two Stars Collide
by jayfeather12345
Summary: Neither of them know exactly how it started. They were both just trying to move on. But suddenly a song Paul writes two years after the break-up sparks a whole war of provocative songs from both sides. Dawn was only trying to protect her reputation, and her new relationship with Barry... She never would have retaliated if she had known what would happen.
1. Not Cinderella

**Disclaimer:** I don't own pokémon, HOWEVER all the lyrics in this story are my own (sorry if they're completely terrible - I tried my best!)

So I really shouldn't be starting a new story but I can't shake this idea, and just had to write it down. I'm really excited for it and I've got a lot planned. **Note:** this fic focuses mainly on Dawn and ikarishipping, though there will also be pokeshipping - but I can't promise the pokeshipping will be very good because I'm pretty bad at writing MistyxAsh even though I love them as a couple, but that's why I'm including it in this fic: so I can get better at it!

Also, as anyone who's read any of my other pokémon fics will know, I am a massive contestshipper. However May and Drew aren't going to be in this fic (sadly), or at least not as main characters, but they might make a few guest appearances later so look out for that. They do get mentioned though, as you'll se in this chapter.

All the main characters (Dawn, Paul, Misty, etc.) are in their early 20s. I've tried to keep their early lives as canon as possible but I've not watched the anime in several years so there may be a few inaccuracies - feel free to point out any mistakes I make so I can correct them. Anyway, that's enough talking from me - onto the story!

Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

 **~ Not Cinderella ~**

Paul Shinji sat in the darkest corner of his basement, strumming his guitar without playing any particular piece. Reggie had forced him to learn when he was younger, along with making him attend singing lessons as a compromise for his own desire to learn the drums. At the time he had been resentful, but those days were long gone. Music was all he had now.

It had been too long since he had last played his guitar. Two years ago he had put it down and left it to gather dust. He'd gone travelling, much like he used to when he still dreamed of becoming a pokémon master. He'd seen some amazing sights and met some interesting people. But every moment he was away, something inside him yearned to be home.

"Why do I still feel restless?" he muttered, strumming harder as frustration sped up his fingers.

Deep down, he knew why. But he could never say it out loud. Instead, he let the lyrics simmering in his mind flow freely from his tongue.

After he had finished composing the rough, unpolished song he stopped his playing and laughed darkly to himself. "At least my agent will be pleased – it looks like I'm returning to the music industry after all."

* * *

"What about this one?" Misty asked, holding up a shimmery, coral-pink sequin-heavy dress. It reflected all of the lights in the small store, creating quite a blinding effect.

Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Too shiny."

Misty raised her eyebrows. "You like shiny things." She looked pointedly at Dawn's skinny jeans that sported pockets embroidered with tiny silver studs. A nervous shop assistant hovered in the background, pretending to busy herself with putting new stock out while she was really just trying to sneak some peaks at the only customers. Dawn could see her out of the corner of her eye, and a tiny smile tugged the corners of her mouth up. She was used to this kind of behaviour, and she was glad that for once the person displaying it was trying to be discreet.

"I like sparkly things – there's a difference," Dawn informed her, flicking absently through the reduced sales rack. She didn't really need to be conservative with her money, but it was an old habit she'd picked up as a teenager that proved hard to shake.

Misty sighed. "All right, back to the drawing board. This is a pretty small shop though – are you sure we shouldn't go to the big department store in town?"

"Mm-hm," Dawn confirmed, scanning a floaty, pale blue dress which had caught her eye. Taking it off the rack, she brought it to the mirror and held it up against her small frame. Soft music played in the background, and she began unconsciously swaying to the beat. "Everyone will be shipping at Marlos – and I mean _everyone_. This is a big deal Mist; I need the perfect dress for the occasion."

Misty scowled. "I told you not to call me that. That looks nice, by the way – you going to try it on?"

Dawn shook her head. "No, it's more of a casual dress than a party one. Though I might get it anyway – I do really like it. But I'm looking for a special dress, ' _the dress_ ', if you know what I mean."

"Not really. Anyway, I don't get why you're going to all this trouble. It's just a party; you go to like three parties a week."

Dawn rolled her eyes. Misty was exaggerating; she wasn't _that_ much of a socialite. "This isn't just any party. This is Barry's welcome home party – and everyone who's anyone will be there. I have to look better than I ever have; as his girlfriend I have a certain standard to live up to," she attempted to explain for what must have been the twentieth time that week.

Misty had wandered over to the other side of the store while her friend was talking, and now she withdrew a completely black dress. It was made of flowy material that was gathered at the waist with a pattern of six silver gemstones and ruched out from the waist into a skirt that would probably barely reach mid-thigh. "How about this?"

Upon seeing it, Dawn gasped in awe. "Oh – oh, Misty, it's perfect. I'll go try it on!"

In the background, the shop assistant's eyes lit up. Was _Dawn Berlitz_ really interested one of their small chain dresses?

Misty followed dutifully to the changing rooms, frowning at the hovering assistant until she scurried off to the far side of the store. As Dawn changed, Misty continued their conversation. "In my opinion it's Barry who has a standard to live up to, not you. All Barry's done is won the Sinnoh League Championship; you've won the Grand Festival Ribbon _five_ times, you still feature in practically every major co-ordinating magazine and have interviews being thrown at you every five minutes, _and_ you're a singer-songwriter whose had songs hold number one in three regions for a whole month, and who's sold a triple-platinum record. And you're only twenty-two at that. Now if that's not a standard that needs to be lived up to then I really don't know what is."

As Misty listed all of her achievements, Dawn couldn't help but smile. It was true – she had accomplished a lot. More than most people had at her age, at least. And with people like the sales assistant constantly recognising her on the street she never had a chance to forget it, either. However… "Barry's win isn't just a personal victory; the whole region's celebrating because he's the favourite to become the next Sinnoh Champion now – and literally everyone is betting on him. What's a five-times Grand Festival winner compared to the youngest Champion-to-be in Sinnoh's history? Oooh!" Dawn squealed, getting her first proper look at herself in the dress in the changing room mirrors. It was simple but beautiful, perfectly complimenting her figure and complexion. "This dress is just perfect!" She scampered out of the cubicle so Misty could see. The redhead nodded approvingly.

"You look amazing. Barry will be blown away – and so will the other high-end socialites and paparazzi you're trying so hard to impress." A sly glint entered Misty's eye. "It is them you're dressing up for, right?"

Dawn nodded, absorbed in gazing at her reflection in wonder. "Who else would I be doing this for?"

Misty tilted her head in the same was a predator watching its prey might. "Oh, I don't know, maybe a certain purple-haired trainer who may or may not be there, according to various gossip blogs?"

Dawn froze. "Of course not! I've not even thought about that obnoxious – obnoxious – jerk in two years. And since when do you read gossip blogs?" She spun around to face her friend accusingly.

Misty smiled, secretly pleased with Dawn's reaction. But she said nothing else on the matter. "I don't, but May does. She texted me yesterday. Anyway, are you going to get the dress? It's getting kind of late."

Happy to change the subject, Dawn confirmed that she would get the dress and then nipped back into the cubicle to change into her old clothes. As she did so, the slow song playing through the store's speakers ended and a new song began, this one with a much catchier beat that Dawn found herself nodding her head in time to – until the first words of the song caused her to falter.

 _Oh, ohhh, oh_

 _I'm not a hero_

 _I'm not invincible,_

 _Can't turn invisible_

 _I'm not super strong,_

 _Can't fly or save the day_

 _(Save the day)_

 _I'm not a hero_

 _Oh, I'm no hero, no hero, no._

The words themselves were fine; it was the singer who made Dawn's heart begin to beat unnaturally fast. He was male, and had a deep, husky voice – the kind a rock singer might have, although the song was clearly in the pop genre. He also sounded all too familiar for Dawn's liking. But it wasn't a song she was familiar with. It was possible she was overreacting; after all, lots of singers sounded similar. She released the breath she hadn't realised she was holding. Yes. That was it. A case of mistaken identity.

 _But, you're not a damsel in distress_

 _Unless it's stress of your own making_

 _(Stress of your own making);_

 _You don't have the perfect hair_

 _Or the flawless skin_

 _And your heart isn't pure_

 _So don't expect me to be Prince Charming_

 _When you're not Cinderella,_

 _No-oh,_

 _You're not Cinderella._

By the end of the second verse Dawn was changed and in the process of joining Misty at the till to pay for the dress. However, her heart rate hadn't calmed down. If anything, it had escalated. She couldn't shake the suspicion that it was _him_. The music, the lyrics, and the voice all sounded much too like him for Dawn's liking. She had to be sure.

"I'd just like this dress please," Dawn told the shop assistant, who was gazing at her famous customer in awe. "Also, I was just wondering, what song this is? It seems familiar but I can't quite place it," she explained, ignoring Misty's exasperated eye roll. The redhead wanted to get home and Dawn couldn't blame her – it was nearly five O' clock – but she needed to know what the song was.

"Um, that'll be £59.99, and the song's _You're Not Cinderella_. It's only just come out but it's already my new favourite, it's so catchy," the shop assistant chattered.

Dawn frowned. "I guess. Who sings it again?"

Whole they were talking, the third verse had begun, and despite focusing on the conversation Dawn heard every word perfectly. There was no longer any doubt in her mind who the singer was – she knew before the shop assistant said it.

 _I'm not a hero_

 _I never claimed to be perfect –_

 _Never said I was bulletproof._

 _I've bled before_

 _And I've cried before_

 _And I'll screw up again, and again, and again._

 _I'm no hero, no, I'm no hero…_

 _(Oh, oh, oh)_

 _I'm no hero._

"Paul Shinji of course – haven't you heard? He's finally made a comeback after his disappearance from the industry two years ago, and what a comeback it is!"

Dawn's heart sank. Of course. Of course it would be him. And of course, he would be singing about her.

 _You strut down the street_

 _Expecting crowds to part before you._

 _You flick your hair_

 _Without a care_

 _In the world – and boys fall at your fe-eet._

 _And you think everything's perfect –_

 _Yeah, everything seems perfect._

 _But then you trip up_

 _Over your own high-heels:_

 _You want me to save the day_

 _(Want me to save the day?)_

 _But – I let you fall,_

 _Let you fall,_

 _I let you fall because_

 _I'm not Prince Charming,_

 _I'm not a hero,_

 _And you're not Cinderella;_

 _You're not, you're not, you're not,_

 _You're not Cinderella._

* * *

"Are you okay?" Misty asked quietly as the left the store in the middle of the next verse.

Dawn nodded. "Yep! I'm fine! I'm glad Paul's making music again – I'm glad he's doing something that makes him happy," she answered in a voice that was too bubbly, and with eyes that were too bright. Misty didn't need to be especially perceptive to see through Dawn's façade. The young co-ordinatior was hurting inside, and it made Misty's blood boil. Who did Paul think he was to just vanish for two years and then come back with a song like that?

Dawn began walking a little faster, and Misty had to hurry to catch up despite having much longer legs than her shorter friend. But when she did catch up, Dawn's face was once more as serene as it had been when they first entered the dress shop.

"So are you excited for the party?" Dawn asked cheerfully, as if nothing had happened.

Misty raised her eyebrows. "I'm not going?" she replied, confused.

Dawn grinned. "It's not just Barry who's coming home though, is it? All the trainers are – and I know one of them is especially looking forward to seeing you."

Misty frowned. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about – Ooh, a Poliwag! Look how cute it is! I'm almost sad mine evolved," she gushed upon spotting the water type pokémon trotting along the side of the river. They'd left the main town now – the small clothes store was right on the edge – and were heading towards the richer end of the housing area. A river wound its way through a few buildings which were built against the backdrop of a forest, and the two women always walked home this way because of how scenic it was. They could have easily taken a car of course, or used Dawn's chauffeur, but both of them liked the walk. It reminded them of their travelling days.

"Don't change the subject. Though I admit, it is cute. But, I think you know very well who I'm talking about, _Mist_ ," Dawn said with a meaningful sideways look towards her friend.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" Misty scowled.

Dawn laughed gaily. "Okay, okay, you can play dumb if you wish. But I think both of us are really going to enjoy this party – and don't try to get out of going because I already have the perfect outfit for you. Ah-ah, no buts. You're coming, and that's that!"

Misty's scowl worsened, but she wasn't as annoyed as she would have been in any other circumstances. Dawn seemed to have genuinely cheered up, and she wanted to keep it that way. If keeping Dawn happy meant consenting to go to a stupid party, then she supposed it was worth it. And besides, if Paul really was going to be there then she wanted to be there for her friend. Barry would probably be busy talking to other important people for most of the evening: Misty would be Dawn's only real friend there.

* * *

Back in the little store, Paul's song played on. The shop assistant nodded her head in time to it, closing her eyes as the music got quieter and the singer's voice became soft.

 _I used to try to save you._

 _I used to try to be your prince._

 _I wanted to be your hero._

 _But I'm not invincible,_

 _Can't turn invisible,_

 _I'm not super strong,_

 _Can't fly or save the day…_

 _I'm not a hero,_

 _No._

Then it began to get louder again, and the assistant smiled widely. This was her favourite part.

 _I'm not a hero,_

 _I'm not a hero,_

 _You want a hero, but I'm no hero,_

 _And…_

 _You're not Cinderella!_

As the singer's voice trailed away, the least few words could barely be heard – but they were just about audible, as if his voice was in the process of breaking but it was just about strong enough for one last line.

 _No… You're not Cinderella._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 ** _~Jay_**


	2. Return of the Trainers

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Pokémon (but I do own the lyrics, which is why they're so bad)

Eh. I feel like this is the worst chapter I've ever written. Maybe it's just because I'm tired but I sort of lost motivation for it about a quarter into writing it. On the bright side, I actually managed to update on time! Yay! Next chapter should be a lot better though - I have so much inspiration for that!

Enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **~ Return of the Trainers ~**

 _Bzzz bzzz._

Dawn's eyes opened. She saw the screen of her phone light up from her bedside table with a new text. Groaning, she rolled over in bed. It was only 8:36am -too early to wake up. But two minutes later…

 _Bzzz bzzz._

"Drat," she muttered, clumsily swinging as arm out from under the covers and making a grab for the phone. Staring at the screen through bleary eyes, she could barely make out what the text said:

 _Hope you're ready to party! Can't wait to see you later tonight! Xxx_

"Drat!" Dawn exclaimed, staring at Barry's text in horror. It was party day. And she had overslept.

Scrambling out of bed and into the shower, Dawn rushed to get ready as fast as she could. Technically the party didn't start until seven that evening, but she had a lot to do before that. First was brunch with Misty in their favourite café. Second was finding Barry a welcome home gift. (She had been trying to find him one for weeks, but somehow nothing seemed right. However, she was getting desperate and decided that the first thing she saw which he would even remotely like, she would buy.) Third was retrieving her pokémon from the pokémon centre – she needed them to be fighting fit for the party, because the fourth thing she needed to do was run through some contest moves which she would use as part of a display several coordinators were putting on. And lastly she needed to change into her dress and do her make-up for the party – and she needed plenty of time for that.

* * *

The day whizzed by in a blur of colour and excitement. Brunch was fun – she teased Misty about a certain trainer who was arriving home along with Barry and panicked about finding her boyfriend a present, which unfortunately she still hadn't managed to do by the time she had to pick up her pokémon and have a final practise with them. By the time five O' clock rolled around she was knocking impatiently on Misty's door with her chauffeur standing behind her holding a large suitcase with all of the things she needed to get the both of them ready.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Misty yelled from deep within the small but neat house she had only recently moved into.

Dawn grinned, and kept knocking.

 _Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock Kno-_

"WHAT?" Misty demanded, flinging open the door with a scowl. Upon seeing her best friend, her scowl transformed into a look of fear. "No. No, no, n- hey! I didn't say you could come in!"

Dawn barged right past her, beckoning her amused chauffeur to follow. "Best friends need no invitation to invade each other's houses," she sang brightly. "Could you put the case down there, please? Thanks," she told her chauffeur gratefully, nodding that he could leave now. He did so quickly, closing the door behind him.

Misty stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at her small friend. "I told you, I'm not going. And what do you think _that_ is?" she questioned, looking at the large suitcase.

Dawn grinned. "Our dresses, heels, jewellery, make-up… Oh come on, don't look so glum. Smile! It's party day!"

"Exactly," Misty muttered under her breath.

Dawn began to drag the case into the living room just off the main hallway. There was no way she was going to try and lug it up the stairs to Misty's bedroom. The living room was small, with one cream sofa and one armchair of the same colour facing an average TV with a square coffee table in the middle, but it was cosy and warm – Dawn preferred it to her own living room, which had more space than ten people could use.

Misty followed her reluctantly. "Look Dawn, I appreciate the effort, but I really don't want to go."

Dawn sighed and turned to look her friend in the eye. "Why? I don't get it, two weeks ago you were fine with coming."

"A lot can happen in two weeks."

Dawn frowned. "Did something happen to upset you?" She hesitated, reading the sad look in Misty's eyes. "Does this have something to do with Ash?" she asked softly.

Misty looked away, lifting her chin defiantly. "I don't care if he's got a girlfriend now. I'm just glad he's happy," she said, in much the same way Dawn had said she was glad Paul was doing something that made him happy two weeks earlier. "I just don't fancy spending an evening watching him fawn over some other girl, that's all."

"Oh Misty…" Dawn jumped over the open suitcase to envelop her friend in a hug. "I had no idea. I'm surprised he didn't tell me though, I thought he considered me a good friend," she added, pulling back to look at her taller friend.

Misty laughed darkly. "He didn't tell anyone – May said it was all over some gossip site and so I went and read about it for myself. There were pictures and everything."

For a moment Dawn was quiet. She was thinking. Then a grin slowly began to spread on her face. It was a look that made Misty instantly suspicious.

"Whatever you're thinking, I want no part of it. All I want is to have a nice, quiet evening in," Misty stated firmly.

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "And then what, hmm?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you going to do with your life, Mist?"

"Mist _y_ ," interrupted the redhead.

" _Misty_ ," Dawn corrected, rolling her eyes. "You're not a gym leader anymore; your sisters resumed their roles ages ago. You're just a water pokémon trainer without a purpose. Sure, you've got a job at the moment, but do you really want to be a lifeguard forever?"

Misty frowned. "I enjoy being a lifeguard," she said, a little defensively.

"And you're good at it," Dawn agreed. "But didn't you used to have bigger dreams?"

Misty sat down on the sofa with a sigh. Thinking back to her travelling days always made her nostalgic, and she began to talk softly: "I remember that I used to want to become a Water Pokémon Master. I was so optimistic back then. And good at battling – I'm the one who coached Ash in the first stages of his journey, when he really had no idea about anything. I guess it's funny how things turned out really. He's the supertrainer now, travelling all over the world to 'become the very best, like no-one ever was', and I'm not even a gym leader. Though I'm glad my sisters took Cerulean Gym back because at least now I'm free to go wherever I wish, whenever I wish."

Dawn nodded slowly. "So what happened to those dreams?"

"I guess I got less optimistic and more realistic."

"Oh, yeah? Well I disagree. This isn't realism, it's cowardice. I think you're too scared to chase your dreams because you think you'll never be better than Ash. You two were always competitive, but now that competition has died. Sure, Ash is a great trainer. But so are you! When I was just a co-ordinator I had no idea of how far I would go, and look at me now. I never thought this was even possible. Do you see what I'm saying? You have your own life to live instead of just cheering on Ash from the side lines."

A bit of Misty's old spirit returned to her as she snapped, "I was _never_ just on the side lines."

"It doesn't seem that way to me. Ash zoomed off into space and left you in the dust on Earth. But I think it's about time you caught him up, don't you?"

Misty shook her head. "I don't know… My travelling days are well behind me now."

"Come on, I believe in you so why don't you believe in yourself? And don't tell me this pessimism is all because some gossip blog reported that Ash was spotted with a 'girlfriend'."

"I'm happy with where I am in life right now. There's nothing I can do to change it, so why are we even having this conversation?"

Dawn smiled. She could tell by the reluctantly curious tone that Misty had taken the bait. "Because the party starts in less than two hours and we have a lot of getting ready to do if you're going to make your debut as an up-and-coming Water Pokémon Mater."

"No, Dawn, I don't want to be a Gym Leader again. Honestly, I'm happy as I am."

"Who said anything about being a Gym Leader? I'm saying you could become the next member of the Elite Four," Dawn said with a wink.

Misty stared at her friend as her brain began to whirl. _Dawn's right – why should I have to settle for less if I can achieve so much more than anyone ever thought I could amount to?_

"I'm in."

* * *

Cameras flashed as the limo drew up in front of Barry's house, where the party was being held. Barry had actually arrived a lot earlier that day, but he wouldn't be making his official appearance, along with the other trainers returning home, until all the guests had arrived.

Misty and Dawn got out of the limo together, with Dawn smiling for the reporters and Misty shielding her eyes from the bright lights. They strode up the steps while guards held back the paparazzi, and were welcomed by a doorman who offered to take their coats. As the front door closed behind them they were lead through the hall to the back room, which was where the main event was taking place.

Music blared from speakers, and Misty had to resist the urge to cover her ears. "Sheesh, how loud does the music need to be? And shouldn't there be a live band?"

Dawn shrugged. "The band cancelled at the last minute and they couldn't find another in time. Come on, I wanna go dance!" She pulled Misty into the writhing mass of people already filling the room.

"When do the trainers get here?" Misty shouted over the volume of the music.

"Anytime now," Dawn shouted back.

Right on cue, the music was turned down until it was barely still in the background, and spotlights from the ceiling swivelled to point at the door. Excited murmurs sprung up from around the room. A lot of the guests were there to welcome home relatives or friends. Dawn felt her own excitement rising.

Thirty seconds later, just when people were beginning to get restless, a familiar face with sparking eyes and a mess of blonde hair appeared in the doorway. Out of the corner of her eye Dawn thought she saw the flash of a camera, perhaps from a reporter who managed to sneak past the guards, but then she was running forward, pushing through the crowd as several people began cheering Barry's name, until she was close enough to throw herself into her returned boyfriend's arms. "Barry!" she cried, exhilarated. Having seen her coming, Barry had braced himself for the impact, and he wrapped his arms around her happily.

"Hey Dawn! It's so good to see you! Though if you'd waited any longer to come greet me then I might've had to fine ya," he added, winking.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Same old Barry," she teased. She let go of him so they could move away from the doorway, and many similar reunions started taking place as the rest of the trainers flooded into the room.

As she and Barry began talking enthusiastically to each other, Dawn kept one eye out for Misty. She'd lost sight of the redhead, and was slightly worried. She couldn't see Ash, either.

"Where's Ash?" she asked, trying not to sound like the information was too important to her. This day was supposed to be all about Barry, after all.

Barry shrugged, glancing around absently. "Not sure, he was right behind me when I came in though. Anyway, I'm really sorry but I should probably go mingle with some of the other guests since that is kinda what this party was thrown for. Do you mind? I promise we can catch up properly tomorrow, over lunch?"

Dawn felt a twinge of disappointment in her heart. She had hoped they could spend more time together than just ten minutes. But she supposed that was the curse of a celebrity – always having to put business above socialising, even when there was little difference between the two. "No, of course not. You go on," she said with a smile as bright as she could muster. At least she could go and find Misty now.

She finally found her friend a quarter of an hour later, by the drinks table. "Hey, are you okay? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Fine," Misty said through gritted teeth.

Dawn frowned. "You don't sound fine."

"Look." Misty pointed into the crowd, and Dawn felt a little angry herself when she saw it: Ash, dancing with some girl, and having a really good time. Without even trying to look for either of his oldest friends. "I kind of hoped the rumours wouldn't be true, you know? But I guess that for once the gossip was right. He does have a girlfriend."

Dawn had nothing to say to that. Misty was right. "Maybe coming here was a bad idea for you," she muttered reluctantly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Misty said shortly. "I just wish he'd had the guts to tell me in person."

Dawn was about to reply when a strangely familiar song started playing. The only thing was, she couldn't quite remember where she had heard it before.

 _Oh, ohhh, oh_

 _I'm not a hero_

It hit Dawn like a bullet. It was Paul's song.

 _I'm not invincible,_

 _Can't turn invisible_

 _I'm not super strong,_

 _Can't fly or save the day_

 _(Save the day)_

 _I'm not a hero_

 _Oh, I'm no hero, no hero, no._

"Why are they playing this filth?" Dawn muttered, half to herself.

Misty took one look at Dawn's paling face and sighed. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to come to this party in the first place. "Come on. Let's go. There's nothing for either of us here."

They were walking towards the door when Dawn saw him – at first just a flash of purple in the corner of her vision, until she turned to get a proper look.

 _But, you're not a damsel in distress_

 _Unless it's stress of your own making_

 _(Stress of your own making);_

 _You don't have the perfect hair_

 _Or the flawless skin_

 _And your heart isn't pure_

 _So don't expect me to be Prince Charming_

 _When you're not Cinderella,_

 _No-oh,_

 _You're not Cinderella._

He was standing near the wall with an extremely bored expression on his face as a girl chattered away, thinking he was actually listening to her.

Dawn felt her heart clench. "Who does he think he is, coming here?" she spat, ready to march right over to him and slap him as hard as she could.

Misty grabbed onto her arm, not missing the irony that for once it was her restraining Dawn. "Whoa – isn't is usually me who has to be held back?" she attempted to joke, although secretly she wouldn't have minded punching Paul herself.

Dawn didn't answer. She was too preoccupied with hating Paul to care about her reputation right now. "If he dares to try and come over here… I'll make him pay," she hissed through gritted teeth.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I didn't originally intend to go into so much detail about Misty's past/future s early on in this fic, it just sort of happened. And I know the party description was rubbish - I made it sound like a teenager's party int he garage, not a really posh event, but like I said I lost all my inspiration for this chapter. In the future I may come back and make the party description better, but for now it'll have to do.

Thank you so much to my reviewers! Your comments are really appreciated!

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~ Jay**


End file.
